


The Price and Currencies of Losing

by lexidafree



Series: Of Price and Currency [1]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: AU, Evil Yami, Gen, Is the best kind tbh, M/M, Season 0, alternative universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-30
Updated: 2017-07-30
Packaged: 2018-12-08 20:43:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11654367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lexidafree/pseuds/lexidafree
Summary: To Sugoroku ‘Solomon’ Motou, life was a game, one where you must do your best with the cards you've been dealt. There is a steep tole for the losers and to gamble with all you have is too foolish for words. But, he is a professional, he is legendary!What has he got to lose?





	The Price and Currencies of Losing

**Author's Note:**

> This is fic is very loosely inspired by a fan comic I saw floating around by Yuthie00 on tumblr: http://yuthie00.tumblr.com/post/129411850134/a-bad-headcanon-its-about-the-curse-of-pharaohs - As well as my own musings and ideas. 
> 
> I thoroughly enjoyed writing this and I hope I can add more to this series, please let me know if you enjoy it too. :)

Sugoroku ‘Solomon’ Motou had always been and probably always would be a habitual, incorrigible and unrelenting gambler. His wife, rest her soul, had fretted over this fact until her dying day.

“One day Solomon, one day…” she’d said, furiously brushing his dinner jacket of white stone sediment and soot. “You’ll get yourself into something and won't be able to worm your god forsaken self out of it!” Her cleaning had been so intense he’d worried she'd add more to the bruising he already possessed.

“Now hang on dear, if I were ‘god forsaken’ I wouldn’t have survived this long!” He’d chortled as smoothly as one could while receiving a skinning via clothes brush.

Her glare had been enough to make him zip his mouth shut faster than a drawstring and look anywhere but her piercing gaze. He’d rather battle Tibetan wolves thank you very much….

After her death, nothing had felt quite as weighty as it had before, life seemed to brush by him and run through his fingers like the gleaming sands of Egypt. Eventually, once his daughter had entered university and had settled in nicely he’d decided that, stuff it, he was going to do it! Emiko wasn’t going to tootle on back now to tell him off and Mina was all set to go and live her own life. He might as well live his and do what he did best. Explore.

After that, he’d spent weeks getting his affairs in order, scouting out new and old contacts, inspecting his equipment, repairing and replacing only if it was absolutely necessary.

Part of being a gambler, Solomon figured, was being a bit of cheap skate. He refused to pay full price for anything, if he could finagle a better deal out of someone he was certainly going to do his very best! This had been another source of embarrassment for his wife, when she’d finally convinced him to settle down into their first marital home he’d haggled for and with everything and everyone.

“Just pay the man, Solomon!” She’d pleaded, while he was in the middle of convincing a young sales clerk and his manager that really they could take the price down on the drapes by just a few hundred. “Dear, I’m just asking, you never know unless you ask,” he’d insisted “ and besides, they hike up the prices that high so that you _can_ haggle with them, that’s the whole point!” Solomon had said this while fully ignoring the glare of the manager and the tired and spent look of the sales assistant.

So when Solomon had finally landed in Egypt he’d managed to organise everything he needed for his expedition; guides, equipment, camels all for a fantastic price! He was rather chuffed with himself all things considered. After all this time he still had it in him he chuckled as he’d loaded up his camel and his guides muttered about stingy foreigners.

However, Solomon knew what his greatest achievement throughout this whole debacle had been. During all the phone calls and meetings - in not quite so reputable coffee houses. He’d hadn’t actually had to tell anyone his true objective, to find the legendary Nameless Pharaoh and try his luck against the legendary King of Games’ tomb....

Oh, his guides new where they were supposed to be taking him, Valley of the Kings. Easy, done deal. But even they didn’t know the exact location of the tomb he wanted. His greatest find throughout his entire career was the map to this, by now mythical, Pharaoh.

“Never show anyone your full hand, Mina.” He’d told his daughter one night while she mourned the loss of another boyfriend. He’d forgotten which one, but he was pretty sure he was scum like the rest. “If they don’t know what you hold they can’t anticipate your next move and then you will have the advantage.”

“Daddy!” She’d wailed while clutching a tissue as she sat crying one the living room settee. His heart had ached seeing his beautiful little girl like that and had sat next to her to offer what comfort he could. “Dating isn’t like gaming!” She’d exclaimed, banging her head against his shoulder and curling up next to him under her blanket.

“Ah, but it is my dear. Our whole life is a game and we must do our best with the cards we’ve been dealt.”

“Sensei! Sensei! We will be arriving at your destination soon, you want the tour, yes?” The guides had started addressing him as ‘Sensei’ as soon as they’d seen him, they spoke no Japanese but that one word and Solomon was pretty sure that it didn’t mean what they thought it did but he appreciated the gesture nonetheless.

 “I am aware gentleman and no I shan't need the tour, but thank you for asking,” Solomon replied in perfect english. He actually spoke very decent arabic, but thought this wasn’t information that his guides needed to be made aware of just yet.

 His guides were locals from the area that an old friend had put him in contact with and though he trusted his friend, he trusted these fellows about as far as he could throw them. He could see by looking that they were hungry in more ways than one and though he believed they were probably good people they were also desperate and would survive by what ever means.

 ‘You get what you pay for, dear,’ he could hear his wife’s snide remark in his ear as he pushed his camel on towards their destination.

 

☥ - ☥ - ☥ - ☥ - ☥

 

It was almost evening by the time they reached their destination, he could hear his guides muttering frantically to each other in arabic. “Where is he going?”, “Should we tell him to stop or-” “Is he just wandering around or is he actually going somewhere?” By this time they had been wandering slowly through the Valley of the Kings, Solomon was looking for his markers and didn’t want to get lost by rushing.

“Excuse me, Sensei!” cried one of his guides, Mustafa. He pushing his camel further to catch up to him, “my brother and I are very concerned, we are here to guide you, but we don’t know what you look for. Tell us. We will help.”

 “Ah, excuse my rudeness, I am actually looking for Pharaoh Aknamkanon’s tomb.”

Mustafa’s face flashed with recognition, “Aknamkanon is just beyond this ledge here. He was covered up by another tomb for ages, but they found him! Do you remember, brother?” Mustafa shouted back to his companion. “Yes. Took so long.” Mushara shouted back. Mushara wasn’t as skilled in english as his older brother, but Solomon was also pretty sure Mushara understood ninety percent of all conversations anyway.

When they approached the gate that barred the opening to the tomb all three of the men dismounted. Mushara took the reigns of the camels and lead them to what appeared to be a makeshift holding pen, while Mustafa began sorting out their backpacks.

“It is late Sensei, you will camp here?” he asked, as he opened up one of their packs.

“No, we are going in!” Solomon replied delightedly, he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a set of of jangling keys, another gift from an old friend.

“But...it will be dark!” Mustafa looked positively horrified at the idea.

“That is what torches are for, Mustafa!” Solomon responded cheerfully and began unlocking the first gate.

From the slew of muttered curses he heard at his back he deduced that Mustafa did not appreciated his attempt at humour.

 

☥ - ☥ - ☥ - ☥ - ☥

 

After much cajoling all three of them entered the tomb, they carried with them their packs on their shoulders and torches at the helm. Solomon and Mustafa had theirs switched on while Mushara left his clipped to his backpack, just incase one of the other two went flat. Solomon noted that with these modern, high powered torches, two was more than enough to light the way. He remembered back in the early days, he’d explored using a lantern and an open flame. He snorted, ah the good ol’ days…

 “Sensei?” Mushara questioned.

“Ah nothing, just reminiscing. This way gentleman!” Solomon directed pointing down a corridor to his left. He saw Mustafa and Mushara exchange looks in the corner of his eye. It was a well known fact by most archeologist and locals alike that this corridor was a dead end, meant to confuse would-be tomb robbers. Solomon smiled, that might have been its original intent when first constructed, but now it served an _additional_ purpose.

The paintings on the walls were gorgeous and by far the most intact he’d seen in a long while. The tomb had only recently been re-discovered and therefore hadn’t had a chance to be damaged by overexposure to the masses.

 Solomon slowed his pace even further and began to scrutinize the reliefs. He was looking for the details he knew had been added later, years after this original Pharaoh’s passing. It was ever so slight, but if he squinted but also didn’t stare too long he saw the tiniest shift in artistic style.

There, that was the start.

He came to a complete stop, he heard his guides stop more suddenly behind him. Solomon reached into the breast pocket of his jacket and gingerly pulled out his most valued treasure. He shone the light onto the ancient and tattered piece of papyrus. It may have been smarter perhaps, to bring a copy rather than the actual artifact. But Solomon felt that wasn’t playing the game right, half the challenge was that there was just _one_ map.

Gradually as if walking in trance, Solomon ran his finger along the works of art, looking for the first clue.

His eyes snapped to the one tiny figure out of place, the one symbol that didn’t quite belong in the scene. He pushed a carving of a stylised eye in place of the sun god, Atum.

A sound like that of gunshot echoed throughout the tomb as a long, slim piece of rectangular stone shot out of the bottom half of the wall, it was so fast it smacked into the wall adjacent. All three men startled and backed away instinctively and coughed violently as the dust settled.

“Wha- What was that, Sensei? What is the meaning of this?” Cried Mustafa.

“The start, Mustafa, the start!” he exclaimed, he was right! He knew he’d been right! Solomon kneeled to peer into the new space revealed and there, to his utter joy. Was a lever.

With trembling hands Solomon reached inside the chasm and grasped at the copper handle, it was frigid to the touch but soon began to warm as Solomon put his full weight into it to pull.

After centuries of no use, the mechanism was stiff and crusted in place. “Ah! Help me men! We’ve got to get through here!” He cried back at the guides who had scuttled back across to the other wall. They shared another glance before shuffling back to help their employer.

After many good grunts and tugs, finally, Solomon felt the thing give. “Aha! Here it comes now boys!” He cried,“one more pull!” All the men gave one last long groan and the lever at long last gave way, causing all of them to be thrust roughly back onto their behinds.

“Ah!”

“Ohh...”

“Ahaha!” Solomon was ecstatic and eagerly jumped back to his feet again as though he were a man twenty years younger. He enthusiastically pranced back to the wall and keenly investigated the new indent that had been created in the once seamless painting. He ran his fingers along the divide and soon realised...it was meant to be moved aside.

“Quick! Quick!” He cried, he’d already stuck his finger into the split and was using all his strength and weight to tug at the new partition.

Eventually, the new passage behind the fake wall was revealed. Solomon’s grin split his entire face as he shone his torch down the long passageway, flanked by their own vibrate paintings and hieroglyphs. Here it was, after all this time, the legendary missing tomb of the Nameless Pharaoh. Who would have thought to look in the tomb of a former king to find a second, more cunning ruler hiding in his shadow…

“Let’s get going boys, more discoveries await us!” Solomon called back to the men still catching their breath, he could feel Mustafa’s glare biting into the back of his skull as Solomon made his way down the corridor.

At the end of the hall was a small chamber with a grand door guarded by two exquisitely carved stone soldiers. The ceiling above their heads was held up by four massive columns all generously covered in carvings and inscriptions.

As Solomon headed towards the door, the writing next to it caught his eye.

“Beyond this point...rests the great Pharaoh...beware, o you who should disturb him...the gods shall punish you...your body will rot and your soul cursed to eternal darkness…” Solomon recited the warning etched in the wall with the utmost care. He pausing every now and then to read ahead slightly to ensure his translations were accurate.

“You can interpret hieroglyphs?” Mustafa asked.

“Well, these ones at any rate,” Solomon replied.

As they entered Solomon felt a cold chill wash over him as he passed through the threshold. He felt as if he had entered not just into another corridor, but into another place beyond his understanding. He shuddered, the true game had begun now.

Solomon lead his crew through the winding passage, doors lined the way, framed with gold and precious stones, but inside only horror resided. Solomon’s earlier suspicions of a cunning king were replaced by that of a sadistic one. Bodies broken and morphed by decay lay all around them, some even hung limply from spikes on the walls, the stench of death became more pungent as they pushed on.

He could hear the brothers muttering frantically at his rear, he couldn’t make out what they were saying as they had fallen behind somewhat. He could tell Mushara especially, seemed deeply disturbed by what he saw.

“Bodies of thieves…” Solomon guessed, “remains of the losers...”

Eventually, the troupe had traveled far enough that the torches could pick out another, grander door at the end of the passage. Here too, bodies littered the floor. With a deep breathe Solomon took a tentative step over the corpses, careful not to disturb them and entered the chamber beyond.

The room was so dark, even with the high powered torches Solomon couldn’t immediately make out the full scope of the space. But as Mustafa came closer with his own torch he could see that this room was dominated by a gigantic maze.

All three of them gaped at the enormity of it, but as they stared they also saw the details that made the game that much more sinister. Solomon swallowed in attempt to alleviate his dry throat. They were by now deep in the bedrock of the earth and no other light save for their torches existed. This meant that the pit surrounding the paths of the maze that much more intimidating, there was only inky blackness below. Solomon kicked a stray pebble down into the cavity. It took a sickeningly long time for even the slightest noise to be made, even then he wasn’t sure it was the pebble even hitting the bottom. More worrisome still where the silent ‘guards’ that stood scattered amongst the paths. Though shrouded in the gloom and coated in a layer of dust and cobwebs their strong attack stances and massive swords made their intent abundantly clear.

‘...What kind of trap is this?’ Solomon pondered. Under closer scrutiny he could make out more bodies hanging limply from some of the enormous statues blades. Still just as deadly after thousands of years it would seem….

‘It’d be fatal to just walk ahead….’ Solomon thought with frustration.

Behind him, he could hear his guides becoming agitated. The brothers had become increasingly less patient and stressed the further they descended into the crypt. Their sense of urgency now becoming even more palatable.

“Hurry it up!” Shouted Mustafa.

Then, somewhere behind him, Solomon heard one of them take a step and in the eerie silence the sound of a ‘click’ was nauseating.

The men jumped as the entrance behind them was suddenly blocked by an enormous stone slab. The icing on the proverbial cake being the spikes that covered it. Or so Solomon thought.

“Ah! What the hell?!”

“The door is blocked!!”

“THE WALL IS MOVING CLOSER!!”

With no other choice left to them, the party quickly scurried into the maze, only for Solomon’s prediction to be realised. The moment they did the once stagnant statues advanced on them in hoards, swinging their swords in a fast, robotic fashion.

It was all Solomon could do to dodge and not fall into the chasm below. But as more and more approached he knew he’d have to figure out the puzzle. Desperate, he tried to make it past the first statue, just to get out of the way of its blades. As he tried however, he noticed something made it pause in its assault.

He retreated slightly to get a better look at the thing, was it finally broken?

Solomon just had the time to take another step back before his attacker sliced off his nose. Clearly not.

But again, the statue stood still….

He could hear the brothers yelling at him in the background, the wall was still advancing.

Solomon began frantically looking around, searching for whatever the trigger had been. He stood frozen in position for a moment, before he realized his stance echoed the statues…

It couldn’t be….

“Walk with your left foot forward!” Solomon yelled back at his associates.

“Huh?!” the brothers responded in disbelief.

“To walk with your left foot forward is a sign of respect for the Pharaoh, if you respect their king the guards won't attack you!” Solomon called back his instructions as he awkwardly shuffled himself along the maze. This game...it was designed to test the wisdom and humility of it’s players...to walk without thinking would be to lose...and die.

When Solomon eventually made it to the other side, he allowed himself a moment to catch his breath. His heart still continued hammer rapidly in his chest.

He turned to mark the progress of his guides, Mustafa was nearly at the end but Mushara was lagging further behind.

“Watch your step!” he called to them.

But his voice must have shattered whatever zone Mushara had been in. The younger brother began to panic as he saw Mustafa make it across, clearly terrified they’d leave him behind he made a dash to the exit.

Only to be impaled for his carelessness.

“MUSHARA!!” cried Mustafa. The old brother dropped to his knees, his cries made his whole body tremble in his grief.

Solomon looked away from Mushara’s dripping and dangling corpse. He’d been skewered by two of the ancient blade masters. Another poor soul now forever entombed with the eternal gaming king...

“It’s your fault…” Solomon was startled when his lapels were roughly snatched.“It’s your fault my little brother died!” The grieving brother pulled a pistol from within the folds of his robes to shove in Solomon’s face.

Despite his heart threatening to forcibly eject itself out his mouth, Solomon managed to school his features into an infallible poker face.

“Give it up,” sighed Solomon, “those were the rules of the game…”

These words did nothing to comfort Mustafa and his face twisted in rage.

“...Keep...Moving…” the venom that fell from Mustafa’s lips was enough to turn Solomon’s stomach.

The two walked on in silence, Mustafa’s gun still steadily pointed at Solomon’s back. The air that had been cold before was now positively frigid and thick with tension. Their footsteps seemed to echo that much more loudly in his ears. The faces on the walls of the corridor were just as beautiful as they had been in the others, but these seemed to look down on them in mirth.

Soon they approached another doorway, this one didn’t appear to be as grand and looked to be slowly succumbing to its age. Amongst the cracks, Solomon could still make out the small but beautifully carved epitaph.

“The Ka sealed in the stone slabs shall **judge** you...the cowardly will be eaten...the courageous will be shown the way…” Solomon grimaced, but did not cast a glance at his assailant. He moved through the opening and into the next room.

Through the door there was yet another large ominous room, again Solomon noticed, there a rather intimidating looking pit between him and the other side, connected only by one long slim bridge of granet. But, what drew his eye the most was at the end passage, whatever it was Solomon couldn’t tell, but it sat atop a pedestal and glowed ominously in the gloom. Even from this distance Solomon could tell that it was made of gold.

Solomon could feel its pull tugging at his heartstrings. It was a lure and it was working. On both of them. Mustafa was clearly captivated by it, the treasure seeming to mask the pain of losing his sibling.

Mustafa pushed Solomon forward with the mouth of his gun between his shoulder blades. “ Go, show me where is safe to step,” he said.

Solomon raised his hands to show he understood. As he stepped onto the bridge he noticed large carvings on it, each creature was in its own block and each more disturbing and horrifying that the last. He took a deep breathe and walked across, careful to keep his balance. The passage was far too narrow for his liking...but he was so very close.

 “Just keep your guard up,” Solomon muttered back.

He should have headed his own advice. He was only halfway across the bridge before a loud bang echoed through the tomb and pain ripped through his shoulder. Throughout his life, Solomon had unfortunately and deservedly or undeservedly depending on whom you spoke to, been shot many times. So when pain pierced through him, he knew immediately what had happened.

In that moment, he was filled with regret….Mina….

As the vertigo kicked in, he felt himself tip forward and lose his footing...he stared into the pit...and its darkness consumed him.

The last thing he heard was a scream the resonated around the crypt...and his skull.

 

☥ - ☥ - ☥ - ☥ - ☥

 

It took a while for Solomon to realise he was even conscious. His mind had sent him fever dreams and he couldn’t tell if it was what he actually saw or if his life was flashing before his eyes. He didn’t know if they were dreams or memories. With each image that sparked behind his eyelids, he forgot them as soon as they disappeared.

Eventually, he realised he could feel cool, hard stone beneath him. He could feel the warmth of his clothes on his back and the soft, tickling sensation of his own hair in his face.

With monumental effort, he managed to flicker his eyelids open. He was alive.

“You made it to the final stage... Congratulations.” drawled an unfamiliar voice.

Instantly all of Solomon’s energy surged back to him and he was able to push himself up onto his knees. He swung his head around, desperately looking for the source of the voice. It took a moment for Solomon to reorient himself, but he soon recognised where he was. He saw the monster carved bridge and the door he’d come through behind him, the chasm beneath him and in front was the golden item sitting high on it’s pedestal.

He had made it across the bridge? Solomon was sure he’d fallen...he was also fairly certain he’d been shot, but feeling his shoulder he felt no wound, not even any pain.

Unable to find the voice, Solomon rose on shaky legs.

“Your….associate didn’t make it however. He cheated and thus received a penalty,” said the mysterious voice again. This time Solomon knew he’d heard it and turned to face the direction it had originated from.

Behind the golden item on the pedestal, hidden in the shadows was an enormous and innately carved throne. It too was adorned in gold and on either side of it, draped gargantuan lengths of lushes fabric that fell all the way from the ceiling.

Solomon’s eyes widened and he felt air fill his lungs sharply. Upon the illustrious throne sat a person, a young man.

He was dressed in fine linen and every part of him, from his long, lean limbs to his trim waist and neck was gilded in gold. He sat with his knees elegantly crossed and his head propped up on slender ringed fingers. Upon his forehead rested a golden crown with a familiar stylised eye gleaming back at him. He stared, unblinkingly at Solomon, his startling red eyes cut through the darkness and bore into his soul.

“W-who are you?” Solomon stuttered, he could feel his whole body vibrating with nervous energy as his looked on at the striking young man.

The man’s mouth and eyebrow twitched in unison, Solomon noticed his eyes had a certain stretched weariness to them, like he hadn’t slept in many days.

“I could ask you the same thing. After all, you are the one who is trespassing, not I,” his voice was deep and soothing, but it still held a slight, sinister edge to it.

“What do you mean? T-trespassing?!” Solomon felt himself gaping like a fish out of water and began to feel more than a little affronted. When he had set out on this expedition, his goal had been to find the legendary Gaming King. He’d heard stories of his crypt being loaded with tricks and traps with a magnificent treasure waiting at the end for the victor. He had wanted to test his gaming prowess against the thousand year old pharaoh...he had not anticipated the man would actually be there waiting at the end of the bloody thing.    

Solomon was more than a little skeptical to say the least. Although he wouldn’t say he was a total non believer in magic and he would admit, he wasn’t entirely sure what would happen when he died. He could say with utmost certainty that he did not believe in eternal life.

Was this man a guardian of some kind? Solomon could tell by looking that this man was ethnically Egyptian. He had heard that many locals took great offence at the new hobby of outsiders desecrating their country’s ancient tombs and some had taken to guarding them from would be archaeologist and tomb raiders.

However, Solomon frowned. That didn’t quite seem to fit the bill either, Solomon may have stated his questioning in perfect English but had reverted back to his original language of Japanese by accident in his outrage and confusion.

But his mysterious ‘host’, did not seem to be bothered by the language shift. In fact, Solomon wasn’t even sure the man had noticed. Solomon himself, was also having no difficulties understanding him either.

“This is my domain, I have been waiting for a worthy challenger. So, stranger from afar, tell me your name and then we can play a game…” He grinned and his eyes lit up with childlike eagerness.

“Come now, you can’t be claiming to be the owner of this tomb?! That’s absurd! I won't fall for any of that touristy muck now!” Solomon stated rather harshly. His pride was deeply injured. Perhaps this was just some tourist trap? Had he really been bested by some punk?

The man’s face dropped and any sign of amusement that had been playing on his face before disappeared. Gracefully, the man uncrossed his legs and stood, raising a bejeweled hand as he did so.

“Then I suppose I best put you back where I found you…” he said softly as the eye on his crown began to shine and the maroon of his human eyes glowed scarlet.

Solomon had been about to turn tail and walk back out the way he came but as he took a step black, pulsating clouds of smoke rose from the pit and grabbed his ankles and wrists. They tightened and to his horror, lifted him off the ground and began gliding him towards the chasm below.

“Such a shame,” the man said as Solomon thrashed widely. “I was so hoping we could play...”

As the shadows began to loosen Solomon made up his mind. He would survive.

“Wait! I’ll play! I’ll play you!!” He called back firmly.

The shadows stopped and for a moment there was no movement and Solomon feared that he’d lost his chance.

“Excellent choice…” The shadows deposited him rather unceremoniously at the feet of the Pharaoh.

 

☥ - ☥ - ☥ - ☥ - ☥

 

“The game is simple,” the Pharaoh walked gracefully forward to the pedestal and tapped the golden box atop it. “This here is the Millennium Puzzle. You must solve this puzzle faster than I did in life. This puzzle was given to me the day my father died...my uncle locked me in a cell and left it to me as a ‘parting’ gift. He left me there to take my throne. He left me there to rot.” The Pharaoh’s grin split his other wise handsome face in half.

“What a foolish move, he deserved his fate. It took me a mere five hours and when it was complete I had the power I needed to set myself free and overthrow him!” The pharaoh’s eyes bore into him, “So, Solomon...Do you think you have what it takes? Can you best my time?”

“How can I trust that the time you say is true?” Solomon posed.

The Pharaoh responded with a twitch of his eyebrow. “The shadows would have turned on me if I had lied to you, I should mention that we are now in the midsts of a Shadow Game. The rules are rather...stringent…”

Solomon sat in silence for a moment, calculating his next move. “Alright then, what do I get if I win?” He said.

“You can name it, Solomon,” replied the Pharaoh easily. “Money, sex, power, wisdom, fame, whatever your heart desires, it is yours if you win.”

“...and if I lose?” Solomon asked warily.

The Pharaoh’s smile was truly a chilling sight as he pushed the box into Solomon waiting hands. “Then I get what I want,” he replied. Solomon nodded and the Pharaoh snapped his fingers.

”Game start!”

With that Solomon set to work. He’d only just managed to open the lid before a tiny bronze cage erupted from the floor around him and chains snatched at his wrists. “Bargh! What is the meaning of this?!” He cried.

“You must beat my time in the same conditions I did, other wise it wouldn’t be fair now would it?” The Pharaoh chuckled.

Solomon gritted his teeth and began again, he didn’t even stop to admire the beauty of the puzzle pieces, they too were made of solid gold like the box. He picked up his first piece and began trying to assemble them bit by bit.

But as he did, he began to hear voices. At first he thought it was just his overactive mind playing tricks on him, but as he assembled more pieces the screams became louder and louder in his ears. He shook and battered at his head like he was being attacked by flies, but still the voices came.

“Do you hear them?” The Pharaoh asked, “those are all the people that were sacrificed in order to give the puzzle its power. You must have a certain kind of soul in order to contain them properly...and ignore their screams of agony…”

Solomon pressed on as best he could, the screams were unrelenting and chased out all other thoughts from his head. Hours passed and Solomon desperately wished he’d just go deaf, just so that deafening chorus would stop.

Eventually it became too much. Solomon dropped the puzzle and slammed his hands to his ears, the chains made it so he had to crouch awkwardly for his hands to reach. The puzzle shattered when it made contact with the ground and the screaming finally ceased once more. Solomon lay panting on the ground, trembling pathetically in the fetal position. He face was wet with so much sweat and tears he couldn’t tell what part of his face was leaking the most.

He closed his eyes, he couldn’t bare to look at the thing anymore….he….he couldn’t do it….

“Tell me, Solomon,” said the Pharaoh, high upon his throne. “After so many years, have your dreams finally come true?”

“They have, I have challenged nearly every game in the world,” he panted. “But I feel I have reached my peak. The honour belongs to you, I can not complete this puzzle. I can not beat this game.” The words burned his tongue as he spoke them, but he knew he had been bested. He had lost.

The chains released him and the cage crumbled to the ground.

“I’m glad to hear it,” said the pharaoh smugly. “Let’s talk about our deal then…”

Solomon braced himself, what on earth could the Pharaoh possibly ask of him? What could he give to a king? To a god?

“In about ten years, you will have a grandson.” The Pharaoh’s voice seemed to echo insidiously around him and Solomon’s heart stopped.

“I ask for his future after he turns eight years old, this inlcudes his flesh and mind. All of him shall belong to me.” The Phara- no, the devil’s grin grew wicked. “I’ll even give you an extra eight years to live peacefully with him, this is merciful, _Solomon…_ ” He threw his head back and laughed, taking joy in Solomon’s fear and anguish.

“I...I understand,” it was only Solomon’s pride as a gamer, that stopped him from sobbing at his loss.

 

☥ - ☥ - ☥ - ☥ - ☥

 

True to the Pharaoh’s words, in October of the ninth year Mina approached him nervously and asked if him he would join her for a cup of tea. He’d known before she’d even open her mouth, what she going to say. Solomon felt his stomach lurch, he’d known that he had cursed Mina as much as himself that day. He’d hoped, for her sake at least, that she’d have a nice man pinned down and a happy marriage and life panned out, before it inevitably happened...before her child became possessed by a monster.

They sat together in silence at the small dining room table, the clock on the wall in the kitchen ticked by loudly. Mina was anxiously fidgeting with her cup, while Solomon waited, calmly and patiently sipping his tea.

“Dad..” She finally muttered.

“Yes, dear?” Solomon endeavoured to keep his voice light.

Mina was quiet for a long while before she finally took a deep gulp and gripped her cup so hard Solomon feared she break it. “I’m pregnant!” Mina spat it out of her mouth so quickly, others might have mistaken it for a sneeze.

Solomon opened his mouth to respond, to assure her it was ok, that he was here for her. She continued however.

“Dad, I’m sorry, I don’t know what happened- I mean, I DO know what happened, obviously I’m no- Dad, I swear I was careful-but...I…” Her eyes were screwed shut and her shoulders were hunched over. Like she was trying curl up into a tiny ball...How had he failed his daughter so badly that she feared his reaction this much, did she think he’d disown her?

“I’m so sorry, Daddy!” Mina burst into tears, it was all she could do to repeat herself. “Daddy, I’m sorry, Daddy, I’m sorry…”

Solomon rose from his chair, at the sound of the legs scraping back on the tiles Mina flinched. He approach her and put his arms around her shoulders, instantly tension eased from her frame.

“There is no need to be sorry, my dear. These things happen, you should be proud! Ecstatic! You’re going to be a Mama!” A horrible thought dawned him. “It...it was consensual..wasn’t it?” If it wasn’t Solomon didn’t care about the bloody deal, he was going to hunt down that bastard so fast-

“Oh no! No! It was! But, ugh...he’s not...he’s not…”

“He’s not going to be in the picture,” he finished for her.

“No,” Mina said, she hid her face from his gaze once again.

“Well, you know what that means…” Solomon muttered ominously. Mina hunched back over her shoulders again.

“I get to help choose the name!” He cheered, Mina’s head shot up so fast, “Dad, no-”

“Dad, YES!”

 

☥ - ☥ - ☥ - ☥ - ☥

 

As the months passed and the end of Mina’s pregnancy grew closer and closer. Solomon was both excited and apprehensive. He did his best to help Mina as much as he could, he endeavoured to make this as painless for her and he could. It was the least he could do, after cursing them both. Throughout her pregnancy, Solomon always referred to the baby as his grandson and he never explained to Mina, how he knew the baby’s gender before she’d even had her first check up.

“Dad, you don’t know it’ll be a boy….”

He had just smiled at her knowingly as she went for her first ultrasound.

There were days he forgot entirely about the deal and just looked forward to meeting his grandson. Others, he would lie awake late at night and pray his beloved grandson would be stillborn. To spare the poor boy his fate, he said to himself. But he knew, deep down...selfishly….he wanted to alleviate his guilt…

In early June, Mina was rushed unexpectedly to the hospital in agony, Solomon feared his sinful thoughts and been heard and the gods were punishing him.

But no, the deal stood strong and three weeks early Mina gave birth to her tiny baby boy, Yugi.

Solomon’s heart had melted the moment he saw this tiny, little being. He allowed for Yugi’s small hand to grasp his pinky finger. It was all the boy could do the grab just that with his wee little fist.

Solomon felt tears spill down his face. Mina had thought they were tears of joy and had joined him, laughing and bounced baby Yugi in her arms, who gurgled in delight. Solomon allowed for her misunderstanding, for really, he cried for the awful thing he had done. This poor little creature...was already doomed and it was all his fault.

 

☥ - ☥ - ☥ - ☥ - ☥

 

As Yugi grew it became more and more apparent that he was going to be another vertically challenged Motou. Solomon himself had never been especially tall and with Yugi being premature he was shorter than all the other children. First at the kindergarten and then at his primary school.

Nevertheless, Solomon was pleased to note that he was also a tough little thing. When the other kids inevitably marked him as the runt and bullied him, Yugi would pick himself back up again and tootle off to play elsewhere. However, no matter what the other children did and regardless of what Solomon might have tentatively suggested, he would never fight back. Yugi was a gentle soul and hated the thought of hurting anyone, even when they harmed him first.

In that way, Yugi was a far better person at the age of six than Solomon had ever been in his entire life. Solomon made a point to tell him that on particularly bad days, when he was cleaning up scraped knees and watery eyes. Fortunately, Yugi was also fairly easy to cheer up.

To Solomon immense joy and Mina’s begrudgement, Yugi was a gaming fiend. He thrilled whenever Solomon brought home a new game for them to try. Whether it was a thousand piece puzzle or a elaborate board game, it was the guaranteed way to make Yugi’s day. In fact, the only time Yugi would get even slightly competitive was in a gaming match, much to Mina’s dismay.

On the grand opening of the Kame Game Shop, Yugi was his first eager customer. He bought a pack of playing cards with all his pocket money and tried to show the other children how to play. Solomon had smiled cheerily at the scene and if he put Yugi’s money back in his piggy bank later that night no one was any the wiser.

Yugi was such a good kid….

Solomon often found himself staring solemnly at his grandson from across the room, sometimes Yugi would catch him in the act and would ask what was wrong.

“Nothing my boy, just lost in thought,” he would say, chuckling tiredly.

 

☥ - ☥ - ☥ - ☥ - ☥

 

Eventually, the time came, as Solomon knew it would. Yugi’s eighth birthday arrived. Solomon hadn’t slept a wink the night before, instead he’d spent the evening staring blindly at the golden box that housed the Millennium Puzzle. The eye on its front stared unblinkingly back at him, a stand off with a predetermined loser.  

That morning, Mina had prepared a special birthday breakfast of all Yugi’s favourites, which the birthday boy happily ate with gusto. Mina had bought Yugi a brand new watch, complete with Yugi’s favourite cartoon character - a brave attempt at improving Yugi’s time-telling ability. As for himself, Solomon had gifted Yugi a collection of (fairly) rare trading cards from a game he and Yugi were enjoying together.

Yugi’s face shone with joy as he hugged his small family with his equally tiny arms. Solomon excused himself to allow time for him to gather his nerve. The last he heard was Yugi begging his Mother to let him bring his gifts to school that day. Mina was reluctant he could hear, but inevitably surrendered to Yugi’s pleading.

Solomon returned from his brooding long after Yugi had raced off to school and just in time to open the shop for the lunchtime rush. Despite the shop being rather profitable that day, he conducted his all his errands on complete autopilot. He only vaguely noticed the concern that passed over some of his regulars face’s. But, nothing could break his trance, all his thoughts were with the golden box sitting upstairs on his bedside table.

Mina was still at work when Yugi returned from school that evening. The bell sounded above the door as it opened, revealing a dirty and weepy little boy. Solomon finally, broke out of his stupor and rushed to his grandson’s side.

“Yugi, my boy, what happened?” He cried, gathering Yugi into his arms.

“I’m sorry, Grandpa,” Yugi replied tearfully.

_‘I’m sorry, Daddy…’_

“Wh-”

“My cards...they got ruined at school today….and my watch…” Yugi lifted his wrist to show the screen smashed in and dirt clogging the face, he then pulled back enough from the hug to pull out the torn remnants of his trading cards.

“ ‘m sorry…” He mumbled again, fresh tears spilling over his eyelashes.

“D-did the other kids-”

“It was my fault...I should have been more careful...” Yugi uttered quietly, burrowing his face into Solomon’s shoulder. He pulled his boy closer to him and hugged him tight. Kids these days...they were so cruel...and his Yugi...so gentle.

“It was not your fault, Yugi.” Solomon said firmly.

If it was not socially frowned upon, Solomon would have slapped each and every one of those little shits...and their parents too, just for good measure.

He took his handkerchief out of the breast pocket of his overalls and dabbed Yugi’s eyes dry. “We can try and get that watch fixed for you and there are plenty more cards for us to play with,” Solomon said cheerfully. “Besides, I have another present for you. I was saving it for when you got home.”

Yugi looked up curiously, he’d stopped crying but his eyes were still swollen and red.

Solomon lead Yugi up to the living room, leaving him in there to retrieve his burden. Yugi’s eyes widened when he saw the golden box, it shone just as brightly under fluorescent lights as it had in the gloom of the crypt.

“This is a magic puzzle, the legend says that the one who solves it will have their greatest wish granted.” All the moisture in Solomon’s mouth had left him, but he still managed to utter out his curse.

“But Grandpa, is it ok for me to have this? Don’t you have any wishes?” Yugi asked in earnest. Of course he did, of course…

“My dream has already been realised, so I don’t need it any more,” Solomon felt his eyes water and his lip begin to tremble.

“I hope you can have a beautiful life, Yugi.”

 

☥ - ☥ - ☥ - ☥ - ☥

 

Unfortunately, Yugi was a lonely kind of kid. Every day when he returned from school via the game shop, he would smile at him and rush up to his room. Solomon very rarely saw any friends come by and it was even rarer for Yugi to go out out with anyone on the weekend. Unlike when he was younger, Yugi seemed to have accepted the fact that he was just not a popular person and instead had resigned to keeping his head down and coming home with as few bruises as possible.

It made Solomon sick to his stomach, he couldn’t understand how anyone could bare to look at Yugi and bring themselves to hurt him.

Not that Solomon was one to talk...

Solomon never brought up the state of the puzzle, if he was honest, he didn’t want to know. He was hoping that if just he didn’t mention it, Yugi would stuff it in a corner somewhere and forget about it.

No such luck however, Yugi called it his ‘treasure’ and worked on it religiously every night. Solomon could hear the pieces chinking together when he passed Yugi’s door on the way to his own room. Some days, it seemed that was the only thing that could bring a smile to Yugi’s face. He would come home with bruises and dirt smeared all over him, then refuse to tell anyone what happened. “I was just being stupid, Grandpa. Don’t worry,” he would say.

Years had passed since he’d given Yugi the puzzle and Solomon dared not see what stage it was at. He prayed that Yugi wouldn’t be able solve the blasted thing at all, or it would take nine years instead of eight and somehow that would cancel the whole thing out.

But despite his thoughts, he did not interfere with it, he did not dare. He had lived his life from that point on feeling the Pharaoh’s stare burning into his shoulder blades. It was a physical presence and it weighed heavily on him.

However, his efforts to remain out of it as much as possible were foiled. One night, as he was closing up for the day, a tall, lanky boy approached him. He wore the same uniform as Yugi did and despite their being no rain the boy was soaking wet.

Before Solomon even had time to ask the boy had already handed him a small, solid object before beating a hasty retreat. When Solomon looked down to check what on earth it was he nearly dropped the thing in disgust. A single puzzle piece with a familiar stylised eye scorched his palm.

The gods, it seemed, had no pity for him.

With all the enthusiasm of a man sent to the firing squad, Solomon slowly made his way to his grandson’s room. The hallway was dark, the only light was through a keyhole that led to Yugi’s room. It was with a heavy heart that he fulfilled his duty and sealed his own grandson’s fate.

He closed the door behind him but forced himself to watch through the keyhole.

When Yugi finally slid the final piece into place the puzzle reacted suddenly and it burned brightly, Yugi’s body was set ablaze and for a moment Solomon was blinded by it’s intensity. Yugi’s flesh became incandescent and his hair went up in flames, Yugi’s screams cut right through him as he watched his grandson become engulfed by the inferno.

Solomon turned his back on Yugi and walked back the way he came, like a dog with his tail between his legs.

 

☥ - ☥ - ☥ - ☥ - ☥

Hours later, Solomon ascended the stairs again, this time the living room was pitch black. However, there was just enough light from the street lights outside and the gadgets in the kitchen to see. He was only somewhat surprised to find the creature using Yugi’s body to sprawl lazily across the settee. He was taken aback however, to notice that it had some how raided his liquor cabinet of wine and filled up one of Mina’s nice crystal glasses. It had also acquired from parts unknown a cigar of all things.

“Oh Solomon….” The creature drawled quietly, rolling its head back in what appeared to be pure ecstasy, “he’s perfect…”

Despite the creature’s relaxed appearance Solomon could tell it was thrumming with energy and awareness. It slowly lolled its head towards his direction, Solomon quickly lowered his gaze to the floor, he was no longer on the same level as the creature and he assumed a stance of submissiveness and servitude. If he wanted Yugi to survive he had to play his cards just right. Angering the beast with the advantage would be unwise.

“I mean,” the creature blew out a puff strange smelling smoke, “I knew he would be, but I didn’t realise how _good_ he would feel.” Solomon could practically _hear_ the creature smile wickedly at him and it took everything he had not to clench his fists in anger and disgust.

For a moment the room was thick with tension, Solomon still had not raised his head to look the creature in the eye but he could tell that he was being watched carefully. Smoke choked the whole room and it seemed to soak up all the sound in the world.

Finally, Solomon gathered his nerve.

“I have a request,” he stated as softly but as firmly as he could.

The creature threw Yugi’s leg up onto the coffee table creating a loud ‘ _bang’_ that shattered the silence of the room, the noise so sudden and deafening it made Solomon jump, his heart jack hammered in his chest, he prayed to all the gods he knew and clenched his eyes shut.

“A request from a loser….hmm…” The creature took a large gulp of the wine it had liberated before continuing, “I don’t suppose you realise how lucky you are right now that both your daughter and yourself are alive right now.” It clacked the glass down roughly before leaning back and taking another long drag of the cigar.

“But, you were an honourable player and have so far been a good loser…” It said as it released the smoke it held in Yugi’s lungs. The smoke fluttered around the room, cheerfully making it even more toxic and stifling.

“I will hear your request.”

“Thank y-”

“I will hear it,” the creature interrupted, Solomon swore that its grin glowed in the eerie darkness. “But I may not act upon it…”

Solomon swallowed the bile in his throat. He understood.

“My grandson is a good person, my only request is that you protect him and do everything in your immense power to extend his life…rather than shorten it.”

The quiet that engulfed the room was so thunderous that for a moment Solomon feared his hearing had finally given out on him. The smoke still swirled and danced around the room, like graceful fingers laying claim to everything he’d ever possessed.

At long last, the creature responded.

“Heh, what a waste of a request.” It took one last deep gulp of wine, before carelessly dropping the glass, not even looking to see where it landed and elegantly standing. Its shadow conquered the entire room.

“I know he is a _‘good person’,_ that is why he is perfect, I can _feel_ his spirit Solomon, I can feel the warm brightness emanating from inside his soul, I could not ask for anything more perfect!” It took another long draw from the cigar before dropping it too on the carpet and extinguishing it with Yugi’s booted foot. Solomon winced at the damage done. But before he could try to think of an explanation for when Mina eventually came home the creature took a slow and graceful step and with it all it’s filth and damage flew away and dispersed into the smoke.

Yugi’s small body and childish face were as familiar to him as his own, but with each step the creature took with the stolen legs of his grandson he felt his heart tighten and knew that Yugi was no more in the room than his deceased wife.

The creature loomed over his crouching form and for the first time Solomon forced himself to look into its face. He had done this to his grandson, to his daughter, to himself. He needed to see what he’d doomed them all to.

A small part of him had fully expected to see his Yugi standing there, but there was no mistake, the creature had morphed and gnarled Yugi’s features into something almost unrecognisable. Yugi’s once open, friendly and charmingly innocent features was replaced by harsh eyes, a perverse smile and cruel, bitter intent.

Solomon’s heart plummeted into his stomach so fast he was almost sick. For what he had done, there was no forgiveness….

“You have reared a fine vessel for me to inhabit, you should be very proud…” It said in mocking tone as it kneeled down so its glowing eyes and twisted grin where inches from his face, even Yugi’s smell was gone, replaced by the same ever overwhelming scent of that dark, musky tomb from all those years ago. “You do not need to worry about his safety, he will come to no harm from me, of that I can assure you. No, others are learning to fear me, but he will have no such concerns.”

“Wait, others? What others? What have you done?” Solomon’s pulse quickened, the creature had only just appeared and already it was causing havoc to the innocent?

The creature laughed at his expense, Yugi’s wild hair becoming even more so as it threw its head forward using Yugi’s hand to hide its snickers behind. “You should be more grateful, I was just dealing with those that dared to trespass on my property.”

The creature then moved so swiftly Solomon didn’t see it, by the time he realised the creature had shifted its position it had already grabbed his chin, it gripped so harshly it managed to make Yugi’s blunt nails bite into his skin.

“You have fulfilled your end of the bargain honourably Solomon, and for that you shall receive no further penalty. But know this, if you in any way try to separate me from my prize I will come at you with an anger so fierce that not even the gods could save you…” the creatures eyes burned and lilac flames seemed to whip and flicker inside scarlet orbs. “Do we have an understanding?”

“Yes,” he croaked.

“Yes who?” grinned the devil.

“Yes, my Pharaoh….”

Solomon had always been and probably always would be a remorseless gambler. The odds were stacked against him higher than they’d ever been before. His opponent had the upper hand and had delivered him an ultimatum.

But Solomon had not relieved all his cards just yet, he would watch and wait for his opportunity and when it came he would snap it up.

He would win this game yet.

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I always thought it was strange that in the Manga, Atem's tomb is just...out in the open...You'd think the'd close that thing down if it's killing all those peeps....So I made Atem's tomb a little harder to find.


End file.
